Magna Carta, also known as the Great Chapter or a charter of liberties, was written eight hundred years ago, by 40 English barons. It was written to protect them and their properties against their tyrannical king. To avoid possible war, King John has sealed the document on June 15, 1215. The whole world is now preparing to celebrate the Magna Carta Anniversary.
Rebellious barons probably were not much concerned about ordinary people\’s rights back then, they were mostly concerned about their own rights and properties. Nevertheless, some of the principles contained in their document are essential for the development of modern democracy, and contained in the Constitution, especially in the Fifth Amendment and the Bill of Rights. The basic rights and freedoms are guaranteed by these principles.
Clause 40 contains one very important sentence. It says that all people have rights and the right on justice. No man is above the Law, not even a king. These essential principles are embedded into the law. During the American Revolution, these laws were used for asserting the liberty from the English crown. The same rights are the foundation for the Constitution, and guaranteed by it.
Magna Carta is certainly one of, if not the most important documents in the history of democracy. This was the first time that it was clearly said that no king was above the Common Law. Freedoms guaranteed in these two chapters make this document the most important endowment of Great Britain to the rest of the world. This was actually the birth of democracy known today, and that\’s why it\’s so important.
The Great Charter placed King John and all England\’s future sovereigns within a rule of law. Reissued for several times, this document has served as a foundation for the English system of Common law. The Founding Fathers of the United States of America used this famous charter of liberties for asserting their own liberty from the English crown in 1776.
The Great Charter is definitely a symbol of freedom under law. Although it was actually sealed on June 15, 1215, this first document was called the Articles of the Barons. The King and the barons issued a formal version four days later, on June 19, 1215. Even its goal was to prevent the war, a civil war happened within three months. The final version of this charter of liberties was issued in 1225.
The original document was written in Latin, and it was concerned about various rights of aristocracy. These 63 clauses are actually the first written constitution in the history of democracy. The most famous clauses 39 and 40 are included in numerous Laws and Constitutions. For example, clause 39 was included in the Petition of Right, in 1628. Numerous other legal acts contain these same principles.
Two main documents that are based on these two clauses are the Bill of Rights and the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. Written eight centuries ago, Magna Carta deserves to be celebrated as the most important document for the development of modern, democratic systems. Basic human freedoms and rights under the Law are guaranteed by this Great Charter, and it should be valued appropriately.
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